Improvement in pumps for town and city supply



a Sheets-Sheet 2'..- W. H. LANG.

PUMPS FOR. TOWN AND CITY SUPPLY. No. 187,719. Patented Feb. 27, 1817.

N-PETERS. PROYO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, I1 0.

a Shets-SheetS.

w. H. LANG.

PUMPS FOR TOWN AND CITY SUPPLY.

No. 187,719. Patented Feb. 27,1877;

- c o I G J E I: E

. Cw I l \K I I I l I I I I I l I I I I I I I I l I I I II .flzieat: Inentor:

N-IJETE'RS, FHOTO LIYHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C

PATEN Orion WILLIAM H. LANG,OF VERGENNES, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN PU MPS FOR TOWN AND CITY SUPPLY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 87,?19, datedFebruary 27, 1877; application filed January 18, 1877.

This invention relates to that class of pumps 1 which are adapted andintended for the supply of cities and towns, and especially for pumpinginto the mains direct.

The duty required of pumps for this purpose 1 is very heavy; and theobject of this invention is, first, to arrange the lower check-valves inrelation to each other, and to an air-chamber. in the suction-pipe, sothat said valves shall all be equally relieved of the ram which resaltsfrom the alternate stopping and start ing of a current of water underheavy press ure; second, to keep the upper and lower valves always inline by making the hollow axial sleeve of the upper seat, which guidesthe lower spindle of the upper valve, serve also as a guide for theupper spindle of the lower valve; third, to readily prime the lowervalves and pump from the upper receiver or main by means of a smallreturn waterway past the upper valve-seat, and a suitable valve to openor close said water-way; fourth, to preserve proper packing of theplunger without unnecessary pressure by'means of stationarypacking-rings having positive adjustments l independent of the pressurein the waterways; fifth, to make the packing-rings adjust, able withoutstopping the pump by means 'ofa rod or stem which projects through theside of the pump-cylinder; sixth, to relieve bottom wear upon theplunger and packing by means of a buoyant plunger, so that its weightwill he supported by the water within which it is acting, instead of bythe packing or bearings.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will more particularlydescribe it, having reference to the annexed drawings, where- 1n--Figure 1 is a perspective view of my pump,

with two double-acting cylinders. Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevationof thesame. Fig. 3

is a sectional elevation, showing the primingvalve. Fig. 4 is anelevation of one of the packing-rings. Fig. 5 isa side sectionalelevation on line 00 wof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of the cylinder, showing the lining and packing rings. Figs.7, 8, 9 represent modified devices for the positive adjustment of thepacking-rings.

My pump may be either single or double acting, as to make it'double-acting only requires a duplication of those parts which arerequired for a single-acting pump. For heavy duty in pumping for city ortown supply, it is preferable to couple two double acting pumps, asshown in the annexed drawings; but as said pumps are duplicates it willonly be necessary to describe the operative parts of one.

A is the suction-pipe through which water is drawn from the well orother source of supply. The pipe A discharges into the chest B, fromwhence the water passes into the valvechest 0, and then into thereceiver D, and is finally discharged into the service-pipe E. Anordinary air-chamber, F, is placed upon the receiver D, to absorb theshock of the waterram'in the main, and to maintain a continuous flow.

The pump-cylinder G islocated at the side of the valve-chest O, andtakes water therefrom through the port H, midway between the valves Jand K in said chest, alternately drawing in and discharging through saidport. These are general features, and in that respect are similar toother plunger-pumps; but in the particular structure and arrangement ofthe parts of my pump, it'is dissimilar to other pumps in the particularsreferred to in the claims.

The heavy duty to which pumps of this class are subjected causes acorrespondingly heavy reaction upon the valves whenever the forward flowthrough the valve ceases; and the result of this ram is arapid poundingout and destruction of the valve and seat, and the final disabling ofthe pump. The ordinary air-chamber F relieves the ram on the uppercheck-valve J, and I place 'an air-chamber, I, within the chest B, andopening downward into the suction-pipe A, to relieve the lowercheck-valves K from the ram of the ascending column of water in thesuctionpipe, when its flow through one of the valves K is momentarilychecked by the reversal of the pisdouble-acting cylinders coupled to thesame suction-pipe and receiver-the piston-rod cranks are set at right anglesto each other, so that one or the other is always in positive action. The four-valve trunk O is placed upon the chest B, equidistantfrom the center of the chamber I, so that each of the valves K isequally benefited by the air-cushion in said chamber.

It is desirable that all the valves shall be accessible and easily putin place or removed when required. and I therefore make the chest 0 witha recess near the top for an upper.

valve-seat, and a smaller recess near the bottom for a lower valve-seat,so that the lower seat may be passed downward into place through theupper end of said chest. The removal of the single cover 0 thereforemakes both the valves J and K and their seats accessible and easilyremovable.

The flow of water through the valves and clearance therefrom isnecessarily more or less in a lateral direction, causing an unequal wearupon the valve and seat, which is finally destructive to both valve andseat. To counteract this defect, I construct my valve with.

an axial spindle projecting above and below the disk of the valve, andprovide guides for.

the same, both above and below the seat.

The valve is thereby compelled to move in a straight line, and theunequal wear is obvi-- ,ated.

It is undesirable to obstruct the water-ways with projecting parts forguides; and I therefore construct the valve-seats with long axial tubesor sleeves L depending from them, to

serve as guides for the valve-spindles, the sleeve L of the upper seatserving as a guide for the lower spindle of the valve J, and for theupper spindle of the valve K, and I thereby economize space. material,and labor, and

also avoid obstructing the water-ways more than is absolutely necessary.The upper spindle of the valve J is guided by an arm, k,

which is bolted to the side of the receiver D.

When the pump is out of service and is empty of water it is necessary toprime the valves to prevent them from leaking air when first started,and for this purpose I have arranged a small water-way, M, from thereceiver D downward past the seat of the valve. J into the valve-chestO, and stop the same by.

water in front of the piston. This packingpressure is sometimes soexcessive that the operation of the pump is impeded. I have, therefore,constructed the packin g-rin gs N with positive adjustment, entirelyindependent of cylinder-pressures, and, therefore, entirely uniformunder all circumstances. This purpose I efl'ect by making an elasticring, N, with sufficient stifi'ness to, withstand the compression ofwater-pressure behind it, and having cut this ring transversely on oneside, I place between the ends a device which may be caused to open orclose the said out, and thereby expand or contract the interior caliberof said ring positively, and without reference to the pressure upon theouter periphery of the ring. The interior curve should always-becircular under all adjustments, and this maybe effected by forming thering with the inner and outer faces eccentric to each other, as shown.

In practice I prefer to form the ring N with lugs'n a, through which aright-and-left screwplug, 0, is inserted, so that by rotating said plugin one direction,-said lugs may be drawn together, and by turning it inthe opposite direction they will be forced asunder.

, I am aware that steam-piston packing-rings have been constructed withpositive adjustments; but in those .cases the packing-rings were placedupon and moved with the piston, and therefore incapable of adjustmentwithout removing the cylinder-head. These, therefore, are dissimilarfrom mine, which may be adjusted from the outside at any moment, whetherthe machine is in action or at rest.

Lengthwise through the screw-plug 0 an angular hole is made to receivethe square of the rod-key 1, whereby said plug 0 may be rotated and therings adjusted at any moment, whether the pump is at rest or in motion.The rod 1? passes through a stuffing-box on the side of the cylinder, toprevent leakage, and its inner end may be seated in a socket, p, andthereby caused to support the weight of the ring N, and to that extentprevent an unequal wear of the ring and plunger.

The adjustment of the rings N may be effected positively in a variety ofways, which will readily suggest themselves to a skillful mechanic, andthree such methods are shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9; but the right-and-leftscrew first described is preferred on account of simplicity,compactness, and cheapness.

-.The edges of .the packingrings N are accurately fitted to each otherand to the linings Q, so as to prevent the passage of water hehind saidrings, and to efiect this object as perfectly as possible it ispreferred to employ two packingrings, N, arranged with theadjusting-screws at opposite sides of the cylinder, so that said ringswill break joints with each other.

It is well known that in all horizontal steam or pump cylinders theweight of the piston causes greater friction along the lower side of thecylinder than elsewhere, and, consequent- 1y, both piston and cylinderare worn out of round. This is recognized as a serious defeet, and Ipropose to obviate it, so far as pumps are concerned, by making theplunger buoyant in water, and thereby it will constantly tend to risefrom the bottom, and the excessive friction there will be obviated.

This effect may be most readily produced by means of an air-chamberwithin the plunger R, as shown, though it may be produced by making thebody of said plunger of a substance having a specific gravity less thanthat of water. I therefore prefer to make the plunger R hollow, with are-enforced head to receive the piston-rod r at one end, and a closecap, 8, at the other end, so as to make a sealed air-chamber of theinterior space. By suitably adjusting the weight of the piston-plunger Rand a portion of the rod 'r to the displacement of said plunger, (anequal portion of which is always submerged, the friction upon thecylinder and linings may be made practically uniform at all points.

The pistons of my pump may be driven by any suitable power andintervening mechanism; but the arrangement of frame and gearing shown inmy drawings is preferred.

It will be observed that the chest B and receiver D are similar, and maybe cast from the patterns; therefore, the cost for patterns is reduced,the parts are made interchangeable, and the number of mechanicaloperations and tools required in the fitting of the everal parts iscorrespondingly reduced. In like manner the engine-frames T, with thepillow-blocks U, are similar.

Motive power is applied to the shaft W of 2. The valves J and-K,combined with their seats, provided with the hollow axial sleeve L,whereby the lower spindle or stem of one valve and the upper spindle orstem of the other of said valves are guided.

3. In combination with the upper and lower valves J and K and theinclosed chamber, the priming-valve in the channel M.

4. The stationary elastic packing-ring N, divided on one side, andcombined with a device adjustable from the outside while the machine isin motion, whereby the same may be positively adjusted, substantially asset forth.

5. The stationary elastic packing -ring N, divided on one side, combinedwith the rightand-left adjusting-screw O, capable of being operated fromwithout the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

6. The elastic packing ring N and its adjusting-screw, combined with theloose key P, substantially as described.

7. A horizontal pump-cylinder, combined with a buoyant piston, R, toprevent excessive friction on the bottom of said piston and its packing,substantially as set forth.

8. The chest B, with the suction-pipe A at its center below, the valve-chests G O G 0, receiver D, with the air-chamber F, placed over itscenter, and the cylinders GG', all arranged in relation to each other,substantially as shown and described.

Witnesses: I WILLIAM H. LANG WM. E. GREENE, J. M. HAWRIOAN.

